They began their career in 1991, cutting their first 7" record later that year with the lineup of Joey Vindictive (vocals), Johnny Personality (bass), Billy Blastoff (guitar), Dr. Bob (guitar), P.J. Parti (drums) and Erik Elsewhere (drums). The band would end up releasing 12 albums until July of 1996, when Joey Vindictive revealed that his health issues would prevent the band from going on. Luckily for him, he overcame his ailments to re-form the band in 2000, cutting a new album and overseeing the re-release of a significant part of their catalog. Dr. Bob died in 2003 due to a heroin overdose. Their song "The Invisible Man" was featured in the Ubisoft game Watch Dogs, where it attracted attention to restart the band once more in 2013, releasing a new EP titled Mono-Flexi, and to remaster most of their previous songs as Songbooks coming in volumes starting from I to III.
The Vindictives' website is currently down indefinitely.
Alarm Clocks
The Vindictives Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All that I despise in everybody's eyes lives inside
Cuz hating what I hate is what makes me relate to this life
Feeling full of nothing turns me into something full of fire
and if I wanna die die die then I'll die
and if I wanna cry cry cry then I'll cry
so I try and I try and I try oh yeah
Believing night and day because of yesterday goes away
reality brought faith is all that you create from inside
If all you say you see is something wrong with me you're a liar
You gotta find a way to hear what people say to survive
And if I wanna die die die then ill die
and if I wanna cry cry cry then I'll cry so I try
and I try and I try oh yeah
cuz I'm alive live live I'm still alive
The Vindictives' song "Alarm Clocks" is a powerful representation of emotional struggles that many people face in their lives. The opening verse talks about the singer revising their old schemes and residing in a dream in disguise. This could be interpreted as the singer coming face to face with their past mistakes and attempting to move forward from them. The second line "All that I despise in everybody's eyes lives inside" suggests that the singer is battling with themselves internally, and that their self-loathing is projected onto others.
The chorus, "And if I wanna die die die then I'll die, and if I wanna cry cry cry then I'll cry, so I try and I try and I try oh yeah, cuz I'm alive live live I'm still alive" could be a coping mechanism for the singer. They acknowledge that they have the power to choose their path, to die if they want, to cry if they want, but they choose to keep going, to keep trying, to keep living. This shows that despite feeling like they are full of nothing, they are determined to be something full of fire.
The second verse talks about how reality brings faith and that what we create from inside is what we believe in. The line "If all you say you see is something wrong with me you're a liar" addresses how people's negative opinions can create unnecessary thoughts for oneself. One has to find a way to listen to others and still survive. Overall, the song highlights the importance of self-acceptance, perseverance, and finding your own path in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Revising my old schemes
I am rethinking my past plans and strategies
Residing in a dream
I am living in a make-believe world
In disguise
Hiding my true self from others
All that I despise in everybody's eyes lives inside
I see what I dislike in others within myself
Cuz hating what I hate is what makes me relate to this life
What connects me to this life is the hatred I have for things
Feeling full of nothing turns me into something full of fire
When I feel empty, I become very passionate and driven
And if I wanna die die die then I'll die
I will choose death if I desire it
And if I wanna cry cry cry then I'll cry
I will cry if I need to release my emotions
So I try and I try and I try oh yeah
I keep making an effort to live my life the way I want to
cuz I'm alive live live I'm still alive
I am still alive and I will continue to exist
Believing night and day because of yesterday goes away
Having faith because of past experiences doesn't help in present
Reality brought faith is all that you create from inside
Belief in oneself comes from accepting reality and working hard
If all you say you see is something wrong with me you're a liar
You are lying if you only see negativity in me
You gotta find a way to hear what people say to survive
To survive, it's important to listen to people's opinions
Contributed by Juliana R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.